Fence



(No Model.) 2 sheets -sheet 2.

J. T. LUCAS.

FENCE.

No. 484,168. Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

FIG.?:.

we NORRIS erms m, muwmmm. msmucmu, n. c

rails.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN THOMPSON LUCAS, OF GILLIVAN, OHIO.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,158, dated October11, 1892.

I Application filed February 1, 1892. $erial No. 419,905. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN THOMPSON LUCAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gillivan, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fences; and it has for its object to providean improved straightpanel fence constructed of comparatively few railsand easily built. The said fence also is designed to be so constructedthat the various parts thereof will be intimately connected to produce afence having exceptional strength and durability and which will not fallto pieces when one particular fastening or portion of the fence becomesdisplaced or broken.

With these and many other objects in view, which will readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood,- there exists a novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fenceconstructed in accordancev with this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewillustrating the method of looking the vertical posts to the sills andbottom Fig. 3 is an end view or vertical section in front of one of therail-fastening posts and stakes, omitting the rider'rails and topfastening. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of a portion of thefence, showing the top locking-wire and illustrating the method oftightening and locking the same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a series ofgroundsills located at regularly-spaced intervals to support the ends ofthe rails comprising the various panels and the locking devices securingthe same together at such points. Extending up from either side of thegroundsills A, at a central point therefrom, are the parallel verticalrail receiving and bracing posts B. The said vertical posts B aresecurely locked at the lower ends to each other and to the groundsills Aby means of the diagonal locking-wiresO. To look said vertical posts B,the same are first laid in an approximately-horizontal position on eachside of the groundsills, having their lower ends projecting slightlybeyond the center of the groundsills. The wire O is passed diagonallyunder the center of the groundsills, around the uprights B, and thendiagonally across the top of the lowermost rails D, which overlap eachother at their ends between the posts and rest upon the groundsills. Theouter ends of the uprights B, extending in opposite directions, are nowraised until they stand in a perpendicular position nearly parallel witheach other,in which position they are suitably held to receive theordinary rails E, resting one upon the other between the parallel postsB. This movement tightens the locking-wire O and securely binds thegroundsills, the parallel uprights, and the bottom rails D firmlytogether. As stated, the said rails E overlap each other between saidparallel posts and are carried up to the desired height of the fence tobe constructed. The upper rails F of the main body of thefencecomprising the various panels formed by the rails E, according to theheight of the fence constructed, are placed as far above the top rails Eas desired, and the same are held in such spaced position by means ofthe securing-wires G, passing around their ends and the parallel posts Bdiagonally. Similar securing-wires hold the terminals of all the railsat the end of the fence between said upright posts, as illustrated inthe drawings. Diagonal cross stakes or braces G are securely locked uponthe upper rails F, between the vertical uprights B, and to thegroundsills A, as will be described.

To secure the cross-stakes G in position, one of the same is firstplaced between the upright posts, directly above and resting on the toprail F. The lower end of the crossstake isnow drawn down and over theground sill A directly therebeueath. \Vhen throwing the lower end of thefirst cross-stake over the groundsill, the same necessarily spreads thevertical posts B to a spaced position,'and at the same time necessarilysecurely holds itself in position. A wire fasteningg is passed aroundthe lower end of the diagonal stake first placed in position and one endof the groundsill to prevent displacement of said cross-stake. Now thecross-stake located on the opposite side of the fence is placed on oneside of one of the verticalv posts 13 between which its correspondingopposite stake is passed and clamped. A locking-wire H is passed aroundthe cross-stakes G at the point where they intersect, and the saidopposite cross-stake, resting on one side of one of the vertical posts,is then forced down to the opposite end of the groundsill A on theopposite side of the fence and is secured thereto (although unnecessary)by means of the locking-wire g, as described. This causes the wire H tobe tightened around the intersecting stakes and closely binds the sametogether, as well as binding the vertical post against which one of saidcross-stakes rests therebetween. This construction comprises theessential portion of the fence and, as described, provides for clampingthe posts, the diagonal cross-stakes, and rails of the panel securelytogether and firmly braced, the crossstakes, as already noted, havingtheir lower ends sprung against the groundsills, so that a separatefastening therefor is hardly necessary. Rider-railsI are now placedbetween the vertical posts B, with their ends overlapping each other-andrestingin the crotches of the intersecting cross stakes or braces at theintersection 'or commencement of each panel. The said overlappingrider-rails I, the upper ends of the intersecting cross-stakes, andopposite vertical posts are securely clamped together by means of thewire fastening or look J. In placing the wire look over the ends of saidposts, stakes, and rider-rails one of said riderrails is placed at anangle to the body of the fence, with only one end resting upon the endof the rail and between the posts and crossstakes to which the same isto be locked. The locking-wire J, with the said un fixed rider-rail insuch position, is first passed from the upper end of one cross-stake at1 over the top of the fixed rider-rail (designated by I) to and aroundthe upper end of the opposite cross-stake at 2. From the upperend ofsaid opposite crossstake at 2 the wire is then passed around and overthe end of the unfixed riderrail I at 8, which rider-rail is placed atan angle to the fence. From the end of the rider-rail I at 3 the wirenext encircles one of the upright posts at 4 and is returned under theend of the fixed rider-rail I at 5. Passing from under said fixedriderrail at 5 the wire J is then passed around the opposite uprightpost B at 6, thence again under and around the rail I at '7 and back tothe original starting-point, where the ends of the wire are securedtogether. The unfixed rail 1 is now raised, its outer end having beendepressed, carried around, and placed between the next adjacent uprightposts and intersecting cross-stakes. This serves to securely tighten thewire lock J and securely clamp the various portions of the fence aroundwhich it passes tightly together. It will be readily seen that theposition of the wire J is such that it draws the rider-rails, uprightposts, and cross-stakes tightly together, as

stated, and also holds the ends of the riderrails from slipping pasteach other in either direction, thus completing a fence which is rigidlyclamped from end to end and which is impossible to be pulled apart ordamaged by ordinary causes. By placing the lockingwire J twice aroundthe end of the overlapping unfixed rider-rail I a double draw 011 thewire is given, thus making it possible to use all the strength in thesame to bind the various parts mentioned firmly together.

It is now thought that the construction and many advantages of theheroin described fence will be apparent without further description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a fence, the combination of the groundsills, opposite verticalspaced posts having their lower ends resting against opposite sides ofthe groundsills, the rails placed between said posts, the lowermost ofwhich have their ends resting upon the groundsills and locked theretoand between the lower ends of said posts, looking-wires binding theuppermost rails to said spaced posts,and diagonal crossstakes lockedtogether at their points of intersection and having their lower endssprung over and against the groundsills, substantilly as set forth.

2. In a fence, the combination, with theyertical posts, the railstherebetween, and the diagonal cross-stakes locked between and againstthe upper ends of said vertical posts, of the rider-rails seated in thecrotches of said cross-stakes between said vertical posts andhavingtheir ends overlapping in said crotches and the top wire lockclamping the various intersecting members together and passing from theupper end of one cross-stake over the top of the under rider-rail to andaround the upper end of the opposite cross-stake, thence around and overthe end of the upper rider-rail, (forming thelocking-rail,) from saidupper rider-rail around the upper end of one of the upright posts, backunder the end of the under rider-rail to and around the opposite uprightpost, thence looped a second time under and around the upper lockingriderrail, and finally back to the original startingpoint, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN THOMPSON LUCAS.

\Vitnesses:

LAURA TRAVIS, ,,,NELLIE KEYSER.

